Ketchikan, Alaska - Ketchikan residents along with residents
in other Alaska communities are seeing an increase in emergency
response and law enforcement activity this week as operation
Alaska Shield/Northern Edge is in full swing.

According to Lieutenant General
Howie Chandler, commander of Joint Task Force-Alaska at Elmendorf
Air Force Base, this exercise will provide a wide range of simulated
natural disasters and terrorist events in 21 communities, ranging
from Barrow to Ketchikan, that are designed to challenge and
provide exceptional training for civilian and military "first
responders" and test organizational and integration skills
at all levels of government.

The U.S. Northern Command,
in coordination with the State of Alaska Division of Homeland
Security and Emergency Management and other Federal, State, and
local government partners, are conducting the Alaska Shield/Northern
Edge 2005 Homeland Defense/Homeland Security and Military Support
for Civil Authority exercise this week.

In announcing the event in July, City of Ketchikan Public Safety
Director Rich Leipfert said that Ketchikan is one many communities
in the state that will test its abilities to respond to a terrorist
incident during August 15 - 19, 2005.. He anticipates locally,
approximately 400 people representing more than 40 local, state
and federal organizations will be participating in this large-scale
training exercise.

On August 16th there was a
hazardous materials training drill at Ketchikan Charter School
involving an entry team, sample collection, evidence collection,
and decontamination of response personnel. The drill involved
responding to a fake anthrax scare with the scenario of 45 residents
dead and 80 hospitalized. In the scenario, the Valley Park School
building was a restaurant suspected of serving anthrax poisoned
lettuce.

And, on Thursday August 18th, there is a full-scale mock catastrophe
planned that will challenge participants' resources and skills
to help guarantee that the Ketchikan community will be prepared
for large-scale events, no matter what the cause.

According to Ketchikan Deputy
Police Chief John Maki, on Thursday local resources will have
to respond to a mass casualty incident and the pursuit and capture
of a bad guy. Maki said the Alaska State Troopers have
been ordered not to participate so city resources and North and
South Tongass Volunteer Fire Departments will respond.
Maki said, "This will be a huge drill for the hospital so
they have worked hard to get up to speed."

Bev Crum, RN, Manager of Ketchikan
General Hospital's Emergency Department said, "Though we
will be in full drill mode on Thursday, August 18th, we also
intend that it will be business as usual for our regular patients."

City of Ketchikan Public Safety
Director Rich Leipfert said, "Documenting the strengths
and weaknesses of our disaster plan helps us map the course of
improving collective readiness." He said, "This event
is nationally significant since President George W. Bush will
be reviewing the results of these exercises to evaluate what
additional resources Alaska and other states may require."

The Alaska Division of Homeland
Security and Emergency Management has provided more than $100,000
to fund this August drill and more than $70,000 in other funding
to prepare local response personnel said Leipfert.

Residents in Anchorage, Barrow,
Fairbanks, Juneau, Ketchikan, the Mat-Su Borough, North Pole,
Whittier, and Unalaska may see increased activity in and around
their community as police, fire, and emergency medical personnel,
as well as members of the Alaska State Troopers, Alaska National
Guard, Alaska State Defense Force, FBI, U.S. Army, and U.S. Coast
Guard, respond to events that are part of the exercise.

"Having strong working
relationships between Federal, State, and local governments is
vital in preparing for, and responding to, not only natural disasters
but any other terrorist or man-made event," said Lieutenant
General Howie Chandler, commander of Joint Task Force-Alaska
at Elmendorf Air Force Base.